September 4, 2007

“I came here looking to see a good leader, I don’t,”

“…student then asked McCain a question about what he would do for “LGBT” rights – the initials stand for Lesbian, Gay, Bi Sexual, and Transgender people. McCain was confused by the question and admitted to the audience that he did not know what the initials meant. Once it was clarified, McCain told sophomore William Sleaster that he was opposed to any form of discrimination, but he supported the military’s current “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and that he opposed gay marriage.

“I believe that the sanctity of marriage between man and woman is unique and should be preserved, and I understand the controversy that swirls around that issue, and that debate needs to be continued to be held, but I support that position,” McCain said.

“You want to take away someone’s rights because you believe it’s wrong,” Sleaster followed up.

“I don’t put that interpretation on my position, but I understand yours,” McCain responded, seeming to enjoy the back and forth.

“I came here looking to see a good leader, I don’t,” Sleaster said before leaving the microphone to some boos and gasps from the audience and an eventual scolding by a school administrator. **see rest of the article here **

Why on earth would the student have been scolded? He was stating an opinion, and was well with in his first amendment rights, he wasn’t “disrespectful”. He clearly stated why he had come, and what he found wasn’t what he was looking for. I applaud him for having the courage to stand up and say what he was thinking, and for the fact that he was following a major political topic unlike many of his peers.

Kudos to you, Mr. Sleaster!

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Would you give the same praise and Kudos for that student if he had said the same thing at the conclusion of a different question to Hillary or John Edwards because the candidate did not change their values 180° to suit the opinions of a high schooler?

It was disrespectful no matter which political direction the tweak was moving.

John McCain is also entitled to HIS opinions and HIS first amendment rights.

In fact, if it’s possible for one American to be MORE entitled to constitutional rights than another American, I suspect that a man who endured three years of torture without breaking, a man whose arms were broken so many times that he cannot lift them above his shoulders, and a man who has taken a great deal of political heat for following his heart even when it doesn’t tow the party line… I suspect maybe he’s even more entitled to his opinion than a smartmouthed high school kid in a Che Guevara shirt.

I would applaud the kid for speaking his mind and following up on a political topic that was relevant to him (he is an openly bi-sexual teenager), no matter who the candidate was.

There was follow up video on CNN where this young man was interviewed, and it showed the footage of the exchange between him and Sen. McCain, and the tone of voice in which McCain spoke to the young man was one of disrespect. The kid stated to the reporter that he felt that McCain didn’t respect his views, and that came across in McCain’s tone (*to me, anyway*). He also stated that the senator wasn’t a “God” and not deserving **of the level of respect that every one seems to put him on** (my own paraphrasing), and I totally agree. Why should any one man be more deserving of respect than any other? It irks me to no end when people say, oh he’s a so and so and deserves our respect. Why? Because he was in a war? So what? I served in the military…do you respect me more now? Senators, celebrities, et al. are just people, no more deserving of respect than the homeless person outside the apartment building that everyone walk by with out a second glance. I put no man on a pedestal. All men are equal, regardless of position, creed or color. I am not going to show preference to a senator just because he had the ability to get into the Senate, I don’t care who you are…you don’t get respect and adolation from me until you do something that deserves it, and Sen. McCain’s discrimination against those whose sexual orientation is different than his negates any respect I may have been inclined to give.

For the record, I am not homosexual. If Sen. McCain was biased against a different race/nationality, I’d feel the same way. Any discrimination is wrong.

Well the kid had every right to state his opinion. Was it disrespectful in a way yes, but I don’t blame him for what he did. I would have done the same if I was that kid. I am not a homosexual, bisexual or a transgender but no person should have to deal with discrimination. If it is sexual or racial or what ever. No need for it.

Sen. McCain had a right to state his opionion but not any more that any other just because he did his job. He was a military man, that is your job. Any other military personal would have done the same and have. I give any military person a great deal of respect to put their life on the line but it does not entitle them for anything more than the bumm on the street (like becky said).

“Sen. McCain had a right to state his opionion but not any more that any other just because he did his job. He was a military man, that is your job. Any other military personal would have done the same and have. I give any military person a great deal of respect to put their life on the line but it does not entitle them for anything more than the bumm on the street (like becky said).”:

EXACTLY. Why give a person respect for doing what they signed up for, knowing full well that becoming a POW was a posibility? When I signed up, I knew that a war was possible, and that I could be sent there, that I could die. Yet I chose to do it. I don’t ask for respect for that. Do you respect the man that fries the chicken at KFC? He could burn himself, you know. Many people have. We should give them a medal.

hmmm…I was inclined to agree that everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion, and still am of that mind. However, as far as the replies here: I, personally, *do* tend to give more credence to that of someone who voluntarily chose to serve our country, than I do to those who chose to serve ‘fries with that’.
Yes, we are ALL entitled to the basic respect we should have for every individual, but I do reserve just a bit more accolades for those who are willing to fight for their beliefs, rather than simply expound on them.

Some folks DO deserve a medal pinned on their chest; not everybody does, tho.

Disrespectful? Are you kidding? The kid said what he thought. You expect the next president to handle terrorists, Iran, North Korea, and politicians but god forbid a child disagree with his views? Why would that kid be scolded? McCain gave him the floor – he can say ANYTHING. That’s the point. He didn’t call McCain a name, he said that McCain was wrong, and not a good leader in his view. That’s COMPLETELY VALID.